Trading Lives
by Kayleigh Megan
Summary: When they can't find Henry, Regina takes matters into her own hands and trades herself for her son. Rated M for torture
1. Chapter 1

**Someone messaged me and asked me if I could do a fic of Regina being tortured. She helped me get some of the ideas, and here is the first instalment. I hope it's okay, and that it's up to her standards. I'm writing the next as we speak, so I hope it won't be too long. And I think this fic won't be a long fic, but I'm forming ideas for a sequel...**

* * *

She stared at the sleeping people around her, and sighed.

Regina Mills knew what she had to do, and she knew that she had to be quick about it. She just didn't like leaving without a word. Not after everything that they had done for her, and the way that they had accepted her into their little group. They had accepted her and she knew that she needed to keep her word and make sure that they could get Henry off this island.

In the dark of the night Pan had come to her. He had offered her a deal, the deal that she had been working on for the past couple of days, and he knew exactly what she wanted and needed from him. He told her that if she came with him she would free Henry. They would have a change to get away, they would get a week to get off the island and then he would let her go.

She didn't know if he was telling the truth, but she couldn't not try. She would rather be his for a week than have Henry die because she didn't dare take the risk. And so she agreed, but only if he gave her enough time to find a way to sneak away without the other's noticing. They would stop her if they knew what she was going to do and she wasn't in the mood to explain anything. And so when the darkness fell around them, she stayed up until every one of them was sleeping, and then she stood.

Not even Hook, who always said he was a light sleeper, woke up. She hurried around him and rushed into the woods and out of the clearing. She didn't look back, and she didn't give them another thought as she walked. She walked for most of the night, and when she was close to Pan's lair she took a deep breath and waited. He would come get her, because he never liked it when people walked into his lair without notice. And he would bring Henry.

Silence settled over her, and she felt as if the darkness was pressing on her chest.

"There you are..."

"Mom!"

"Henry!" Regina looked up into Pan's eyes first before she turned to Henry and gasped. He looked okay, and she was glad that he looked okay. He was standing next to Pan, he wasn't even fighting. Did he know about the deal she made with Pan? "Are you okay Henry?"

"Yea...yea, I'm fine mom. What are you doing here?" he asked. That answered her question, and she shook her head.

"It's not important. Pan, let him go. You said that you'd let him go if I came to you," Regina said. Henry frowned and then shook his head, but Regina silenced him by putting up her hand. "Henry, go. Go, and Emma and the others will find you. Run!" Pan simply stood and watched the two, as if he was watching a movie.

Henry looked at her one last time and she could see him trying to figure out what was going on. But he ran, because he saw something in her when he looked at her. He ran and Pan grinned at Regina. She could see the intent in his eyes and she knew she wouldn't get out of this without tears. She knew that she would be broken, and broken beyond repair, when she got out of there.

She was willing to give her life for her son.


	2. Chapter 2

Her head was pounding, and her stomach clenched when she opened her eyes.

It was dark around her. She could feel that her hands and feet were bound and she was strapped to a table...or a rock. She couldn't think straight, but she was sure that Pan was somewhere around. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat hurt and felt as dry as cotton. She cleared it, and closed her eyes again.

"Damn, about time you woke."

"Hmm."

"I've been experimenting with you a little while you slept...I hope you don't mind. But then again...you gave me free reign over body and mind," he said with a laugh. She gritted her teeth and tried to feel everything, so that she could figure out what he had done. She didn't feel any pain, but then again he had done something to make her sleep like the dead, so he could've done something to make her pain free too. It didn't seem like anything he would do though.

"What did you do to me?"

"Nothing very special yet. I just...wanted to see how flexible you are. Pretty, even under the circumstances." He made his way over to her and then smiled at her. It sent shivers down her spine.

And that was when she realized that she was naked. He had taken her clothes. The way her hands and feet were bound she thought, meant that he had used something filled with magic. She could feel it holding her down, and she knew she shouldn't even bother fighting them, but she couldn't help it.

She struggled against the bonds, and fought without even the littlest result.

"You know it doesn't matter how much you fight. Or scream, or whatever you plan on doing," his voice was suddenly next to her and he was holding a candle. "We are in my lair. No one can hear you, no one can find us without me wanting it," he told her. "As long as I have you, as long as you entertain me, they will think that you abandoned them. And they will probably leave without you. But you have your magic and you can come back without them."

"You don't hurt Henry," she whispered. He shrugged and then turned. He walked around for a moment and his steps echoed though the cave.

"I am a man of my word."

"You're a liar, but you don't hurt Henry," she said again, louder this time. He grinned, and a chuckle escaped him. Then he turned and looked at her again.

"I am a man of my word when it suits me, then," he replied. She didn't bother moving, or saying anything. "Because right now I have the _Evil Queen_ in my grip, and I can do whatever I want with her. Why would I want to break that word?"

"Right, why would you?" Regina felt helpless as was the idea of this all. She knew that he could do whatever he wanted now that he had her, and he could even get Henry back if he wanted. But for now, he was satisfied with her. She could feel that. She just hoped that her friends - if she could call them that - would leave with Henry as soon as he found them, or they found him. She didn't want them to wait for her, because she would be broken anyway, and they had to be safe.

She wished she could've given them that message.

"I have some plans for you but I want to keep them a surprise for you...and some other people will get into this too. Because...you know, I don't think I can do what I want to do to you all by myself. Especially because for one of the things I need someone...very strong," he said. She shivered, and he saw it right away. He grinned and then stepped toward her. "I know that you think that you're not breakable, but I can assure you that you are. You know my games, but you don't know what I can do to you when I have you. Like right now."

"I know I'm as breakable as anyone else," she responded. Her voice trembled. Her entire body trembled. She cleared her throat. "I don't have any misconceptions about what you are able to do, and I will let you do whatever you want because you gave me what I wanted. That was the deal, and I will stick to it."

Her voice was thick but she knew that she had to say what she could, because he had to believe her when she said she would stick to the deal. He inclined his head and she felt relief settle over her for a second. But then it left her again when he walked toward her with his knife. It was a beautiful knife, but it was very sharp too and she didn't want to know how that felt in her flesh.

He was very slow, calculated as he walked toward her. She knew that it would hurt more than she wanted, but she also knew it was for a good reason that she was here. Henry was safe and that was all she needed to know. He grinned when he saw her face, and she felt a tear escape and slip down her cheek. She grimaced and steadily stared at him.

And then he stopped.

"This will have to wait. Someone's here," he said.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he walked out of the cave, and she felt more tears slip down her cheeks when she closed her eyes. He was holding off because he knew it was a form of torture, and especially on someone who was waiting for the pain, someone who knew what was coming.

She prayed that she could get out of this, alive. She wanted to be alive, she wanted to see her son again even though by now, they probably thought she was dead. She wondered how long they would look for her, or her body. She wondered what would happen if she did die. What would happen to the curse? Did it even matter?

* * *

Pan didn't return for a long time and Regina wished he did. She didn't want to have too much time to think about everything that was going on, or what was happening outside of the cave, where Henry was alone - or maybe he had found the other's already and she had nothing to worry about. But she'd never know, unless she was out there with him, and the magic holding her down made sure that she couldn't use any of her own.

He returned just as she felt her heart slow down enough for her to fell a little better again. If she didn't know any better she would've thought her heart was about to beat out of her chest.

But he came back alone, and he didn't look pleased. In fact he looked livid, and she wished that she could use her own magic to get out, or do something to make sure he didn't hurt her.

"That was the most unpleasant surprise," he said as he walked over to her. He began running his hands over her body and she knew he picked every place he touched and squeezed in careful consideration. "That was Hood...Robin, you know him don't you?"

"Yes," she replied, and he nodded.

"He's your soul mate, am I right? Well, he came here for whatever reason, I sent him on his way. Maybe he will come back later," Pan said, deliberately holding his hand right under her breast, squeezing her skin there. "I could have him have his fun with you and get that over with..." He said thoughtfully. Regina shivered, but she knew that there was nothing she could do if Pan decided to use Hood, and she didn't say a word.

For a long time Pan seemed to think, and while thinking he touched her in ways that made her want to gag and scream. He touched her where she never wanted to be touched without consent, and she was absolutely sure that if she got out, he would for always have that hold over her.

She knew torture, and even though she hadn't used this particular way of it, she knew the results were pleasing to the one doing the torturing...in the long run.

"Ah well," Pan said. He slapped his hand on her stomach and she grunted. "Let's get started shall we? I have some things I want to try out."

She tensed and waited as he dragged out a beautiful knife. She wanted to say something but when she opened her mouth he shook his head, and shushed her. He didn't say a word as he examined the knife, and he was silent when he put the cold steel on her stomach. He put just a little bit of pressure, and slid the knife up, slowly putting more pressure on it. She could feel her skin tear and she grunted out in pain, but fought to keep control over it.

"Ah...strong as you want people to think you are...I think this won't last long Regina..."


	3. Chapter 3

**To the guest who reviewed: thank you for the review, I appreciate the advice! The torture though, is warning enough considering that torture can involve so much. When things get really bad, like in this chapter, I will put up a warning in the headnote, like right now. **

**This warning is for a lot, rape, cutting...mental games that are being played. Proceed with caution.**

* * *

The knife pushed into her stomach and Regina screamed out in pain. She knew that he loved seeing her weaknesses, and even though this _was_ torture and she was _allowed_ to show her pain, she felt as if she was being a baby. She was being a big baby crying about nothing.

He grinned, and he pulled he knife back before drawing another line of blood. He didn't go deep, but it was enough for her to feel the pain and to feel the hurt. She gritted her teeth against the pain and moaned.

"I know this hurts...and I also know that what's next is going to hurt even more," he said with an excited smile. He walked away, and she let the tears fall. He came back with a bag, and she realized what he was going to do. And screamed again.

"No, no! Don't do that," she pleaded. He looked down at her and then suddenly she had a piece of cloth in her mouth. He poured salt I got he wounds he had made, and she screamed out, though muffled because of the cloth. She shook her head from side to side but the pain stayed, it felt like her skin was burning.

"You see, pouring salt into the wounds kind of makes sure that you keep the reminders...souvenirs from our time together. I'd like that," he said, and Regina grunted. "What did you say?"

When he took out the cloth, she said, "let me go and _I'll_ give you some reminders of our time together."

He chuckled and nodded his head. "You've always had spunk, I shouldn't be surprised that you still have it even when you're in pain." He walked back to where he got the bag, put it down and returned. "For now I will let you rest. I will give you some time later to do something about the cuts...maybe."

After he had gone, she closed her eyes and took the moment to rest, like he had said. Even though she wanted it to be her own choice, she didn't think that it would help her case later if she was too tired to walk if he let her go.

* * *

She lost track of time because he had taken everything she owned. She had wondered if he would give them back when he let her go, but at the moment she wasn't too worried about that. She was more worried about the fact that she was already feeling weak, and she knew that he had just started.

He came back after a while, empty hands. She let her eyes roam over his body, hoping that she wouldn't find any weapons on there. But she didn't, and she almost sighed in relief when she realized that Pan had enough places where he could conceal a weapon.

"When Robin Hood came here I thought I'd be able to use him to...have a little fun with you. It would do so much good for me, because you know I don't like torture." She let out a sarcastic laugh, and he slapped her hard. Tears sprang in her eyes as he went on. "It's just not my style. But as he walked away I knew I don't have enough magic to make him do what I want him to do witgout him wanting to do it too, and so I have to just...so it myself. And before you say or do anything, let's just say...I hope that I can enjoy it."

When he saw her face he laughed, he threw his head back and laughed hard a hand on his stomach. She knew he was already enjoying himself enough, and she also knew what he was going to do next. It made her sick to her stomach.

He undressed in front of her and she wanted to close her eyes but she couldn't. Her eyes wouldn't close because she needed to see where he was at all times. She watched his face as he undressed and she swallowed with difficulty. He was enjoying her uncomfortable tension and he smiled at her.

When he moved toward her she almost threw up but she held it in, by sheer force of will. She was strong enough to endure this, she was sure of it. But when he untied her legs and lay down on top of her, she screamed.

* * *

Her eyes closed, her body throbbing with the pain, and her mind still present even after what she had just gone through. She had hoped that she would be able to let her mind go elsewhere - she'd done it before in tight and tough situations. But she couldn't and she had been there, had to feel and hear everything that went on and that he said.

She wished that there was a way to make her forget, even for just a moment, but he wouldn't let her. He didn't stop when he was done. No, he decided that it was a good moment to give her another cut to pour with salt. This one though, would be on her thigh.

"I think it's a good place...considering what we have just...done together," he said with a smile. He sure looked like he felt good, she thought. She knew that he had enjoyed himself more than he should have, more than he said he would. He wouldn't admit it, because he was a lying bastard, but she knew he had. And that made it worse. She had screamed, kicked her feet out, tried to knee him in the groin, but to no avail. She'd had no luck and she had not thought about this part of torture before.

She didn't know if she could get over anything like that. For a moment she was silent, and then she realized that he had said something. "What?"

"I said...you look like you have been fucked good. And considering you just were, I think I did a good job."

She let out a huff, and he chuckled before pushing the knife into her thigh without warning. She screamed again, even though her throat was hurting and the scream turned into more of a moan, and he laughed again. It was something she would never get out of her mind; the laugh of a madman.

It took her longer to push down the pain and while he poured the salt in, she breathed heavily to keep from screaming again. It was too painful to scream. He stared at her, decided that she wasn't broken yet, and went for another cut. She didn't dare to move her legs, even though they weren't yet bound.

"That's enough for now," he said after he was finished pouring salt into the second cut. "But...I'll be back."

Before he left he tied her legs back to the table and waved. She closed her eyes, knowing he would stay away a little longer this time. He wouldn't like it if she hardly reacted to his torture methods, and she knew that there was hardly any fight in her at that point. She was afraid that he wouldn't stop, but then again he didn't want her dead. She thought about it as she drifted off into a hazy state of being.

He didn't want her dead because he wanted her to hurt and be afraid longer than being with him. He wanted her to feel the pain for long, maybe even forever. And forever was a long time, something she didn't think she could bear. But he knew, with everything that she was, that she would not kill herself even when the pain was too much.

She sighed, a deep, painful sigh, and let her mind blank out. She needed to rest if she wanted to get through his plans.


	4. Chapter 4

**More torture. I don't proofread for a reason so any mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Regina slept for hours, and by the time she woke up again, it was dark and damp. Her hands and legs had been untied and she wasn't on the table anymore. She was in a cell, so small that she barely had room to stretch her legs.

The silence was pressing on her chest, and her throat hurt even when she swallowed. She was still tired, but she couldn't close her eyes anymore. She shouldn't have been able to sleep so long. She should have woken up when he took her off the table and into the cell.

As a matter of fact, Regina couldn't even remember seeing the cell before. He had to have gotten it when she was sleeping, but she hadn't even heard him get it in. Had he had help? Had anyone seen her?

She shifted and her entire body told her how much it hurt. The cuts didn't run deep but the salt made sure that the move to was enough to have her almost pass out from the pain.

When she looked around she noticed outlines of other things he had brought in when she slept. And it made her wonder if she really slept or if she was passed out, because she usually was a light sleeper and even with what she had just gone through, she didn't think that she would've just slept through it.

She wished she could see what it was, but it was too dark. She would have to wait and see, wait until he was back to show her. She knew that she had slept long enough but she didn't know how much time had passed since she first walked in. She wanted to know, even if it was only to keep track of time, or days.

She saw a flicker of light and she tensed. Pan was comjng back and she knew that meant the peace and the quiet was over. It made her want to cry.

"For some reason I didn't know much about torture. I do now," Pan said as he came into view. He smiled at her, and she looked up at him with contempt. She wanted to kill him for his carefree way of going about this. "I have food for you."

"Do you now?"

"Yes. As I hear, it's a good thing to keep the person you're torturing fed...just enough to keep them going for a while." He handed her bread and water, but she didn't care what she ate. As long as she could eat, and drink, she'd be alive a little longer. The way she thought made her shiver, considering that living longer meant the torture would last longer.

"Hmm..." was all she gave him. He couldn't reach her unless he opened the cage, and somehow it made her want to try and see what she could do before he'd had enough. She didn't though, because she didn't want to hurt even more. She could see herself clearer now, and she could see the blood on her body, between her thighs, either from the rape, or from the cuts. She could feel the cuts, pounding, throbbing.

"I will give you an hour. You slept long enough, and I need to get back on schedule."

He left without waiting for her to respond but she didn't mind. She ate, and drank, slowly. She knew that she needed to stay hydrated, that was the most important, so she drank the whole bottle. She didn't hurry it, knowing that she needed to keep it slow because of the pain in her throat. Also, she needed that water more than she needed her food. She knew this, and she hardly ate half of the bread he brought her.

* * *

The hour was over sooner than she had hoped. Time went by so fast that she hardly felt like an hour had passed, but she knew he was spot on. Pan walked into the cave, and she took a deep breath. He grinned when he saw her and put up a couple of candles, lighted them. Only then did he focus on her, and he watched her.

"So...I read up on some of those torture methods...I told you earlier but now I can actually use them. I think I might enjoy torture after all. I love giving you...reminders." He said it so soft that she had to strain to hear him, but she did hear him and what she heard made her skin tingle. She wanted to be able to get away from him but after just a day she knew he wasn't done with her.

"What are you going to do?"

"I think...that I'm going to use some minor torture methods. Some pain will be involved, but I have a deadline in my head and if you're good I might let you go early. Like...parole. It's a good thing for the both of us because I have more to do than this," he said. Then he opened the cage. "Get out, don't even think about running or I'll shoot you." He showed her the gun and she nodded her head. "And Regina?"

"Yes."

"I hope that you will be smart about this."

There was a silence as she tried to figure out what he meant, but then she decided that it wasn't as important as getting though the next hours. He grabbed her arm when she wasn't quick enough and he pulled her to the table she had been on earlier. She could see it clearly now, and she frowned when she saw the mechanism under it. What was it for?

He didn't say a word as he pushed her onto the table and strapped her arms. When he started pulling a lever, she stared at him intently until she realized that the table was moving - it was diagonal now. She also realized that her entire weight now pulled on her arms.

"See? This is one. I don't even have to do anything, but it's going to hurt after a while. Also, look at this?" He showed her something that looked like a wand, holes in the top of it, and then he turned around and blocked her view from what he was doing. When he turned back around he thrust out the wand, and something scalding hot hit her stomach. She screamed out in pain and tried to pull her arms out of the ties, but she couldn't. "It contains hot - boiling hot - water. It's going to give you those little burns? When I'm done with you Regina, your body won't be perfect anymore. You'll be scared for life."

* * *

He left Regina there, tied by her arms, her feet dangling just enough so that she couldn't touch the floor even when she stretched out. The burns on her stomach though small, had her squirming. She wanted to put something cold on it, do something to relieve the pain.

She turned her mind to another direction, knowing he would be gone for a while, and thought of Henry. Would he be safe by now? She thought of him, and hoped that he had found Emma and that they had returned to Storybrook. She would hate it if they would stay for her, and she didn't think that they would. She had left them, she had gone out on her own and they wouldn't like that. She wouldn't come back for her, or look for her, if she were in their situation.

Her arms hurt, her shoulders hurt, and she felt like her arms were going to be ripped out of their sockets if Pan didn't return for her.

And then he did.

"So how are you feeling?" he asked. She could hardly speak, but she managed a moan. "Ah...that means you feel pretty good considering right? Let's move on then." He made it a point not to hit her in the face with the water, but then he sighed. "This isn't doing what it should be doing. Let's change the liquid."

She didn't know what he used, but she realized that it would be even worse. The liquid hit her body and this time she screamed again. This felt like oil, boiling hot and streaming down her stomach. She closed her eyes, hoping to find a way to deal with the new kind of pain, but he grunted.

"Open your damn eyes," he said, loud enough for her to jump. Her arms burned and she opened her eyes just in time to see him pull the lever again. The table turned horizontal again. She breathed, slowly, in relief. "You know...I think you've have enough for now. Rest. Or don't, your choice. But I'll be back in a couple of hours...so take that rest," he said.

She breathed slowly, deeply. She needed to calm her heart, to ease the pain. Her shoulders hurt so much, and her arms felt like iceblocks. She knew when the feeling came back it would hurt even more but she couldn't do anything. Her tied hands prevented her from moving anything but her legs. A tear slipped down her cheek and another followed soon.

She cried herself to sleep on that table.


	5. Chapter 5

**The more I try to think of things I can put in this the more it blocks so I thought to would be a good thing to let this end. I think that...this is maybe a little hard for me to write, and so I would like it more to write that sequel. I already have ideas in my head. But first this story will have maybe one more chapter...**

* * *

Regina woke up when he started pouring ice cold water over her face. Her hands were still tied and she couldn't move her head away from the water. It just kept on coming and she sputtered, coughed and almost choked on the water. And then it was over and she lay there, breathing heavily. She listened for movement but couldn't hear any.

"I liked that one, it's very useful to wake you up. They used that, to get people to talk. Just...water and some kind of rag so that the person wouldn't choke on the water right away I suppose. Very useful," Pan said from beside her. Regina opened her eyes and glared at him, still breathing heavily as her lungs were finally getting enough oxygen after the waterfall.

"I could've drowned."

"But you didn't, which is a good thing because I'm just starting to enjoy myself."

For a moment Regina wanted to fight, she wanted to fight and win, because she knew she could. She could overpower him, when she had all her strength. She could, but she didn't have all her strength and all she could do was struggle against the ties. Her legs were still free, but he was nowhere near her legs, so she couldn't kick him.

"Right."

"Now you know some about me right? I have a son, he's older than I am, in appearance. But in fact, I left him when he was just a little boy. I don't regret it but I wouldn't mind seeing him again. I know that you want to see Henry again," Pan said. Regina's heart made a little jump at Henry's name and she closed her eyes and turned her head away from him. "It's not going to go away if you turn away...would you like to know about Henry and how he is doing now?"

She looked back then, her eyes wide as she nodded her head. "You said you wouldn't hurt him."

"So I did," he replied, smiling at her. "And I didn't hurt him. I just know everything that's happening on this island. He returned to his...posse. They are moving to get off the island as we speak. They have a lot of luck with that captain...but I'm sure that they don't get off the island for a long time." He moved, and Regina watched as he pulled a rag out of his pants. "Now, on to the torturing. Did you know that...even when they knew that people didn't know the things they asked, the torturers would go on just for the fun of it?"

"Yes."

"Should I act like I had questions, maybe?"

"No."

He shrugged and draped the rag over her face, and she gritted her teeth as she breathed in deeply. And then the cold water hit her again and she was struggling to breath. He poured the water over her face for longer than before and she didn't know how much longer she could take.

But then he stopped. Regina was still breathing harshly when he climbed on top of her and she couldn't do a thing to stop him.

* * *

He put her back in the cage. Regina sat, her legs pulled up to her chest. Tears slid down her cheeks steadily and she knew, it wouldn't take too long for her to break completely. She wished she was stronger, but her entire body hurt, and her mind was a mess.

There was no way that she was going to get out without help. Pan wouldn't let her go, and Regina wasn't strong enough to get out and run. She wasn't strong enough to fight him. And that was where her mind broke. She was a weak person who'd been weakened even more by a conniving piece of shit. And it made her angry, angrier than she'd ever been.

She wanted to scream.

* * *

He went on, doing the same torture techniques, for a while. He'd let her rest, then he'd come back and start all over again. Regina was tired - in between torture moments, she couldn't close her eyes in fear that he would come back right away, or that he wasn't done with her for that moment yet. It made her edgy and jumpy.

She started to see things that she was sure weren't there. Her mind was playing tricks on her.

Regina saw a dark shadow on the wall once, and even knowing that no one came in without Pan knowing, she thought that someone had finally gotten to her. She didn't even know how long it had been since she had left the group behind in search for Pan's lair. All she knew is that she had had enough and she couldn't do a thing to stop him, so she had to endure more than she was able to.

She realized the routine he was trying to keep, giving her a little bit of bread and water three times a day, but she never knew what time he would come. He would come to get her, have her stretch her legs, every once in a while when he wasn't planning on coming to torture her. But the thought of later, when he would come, was torture enough.

She thought back on the times that she had tortured people. She knew that she had used the anticipation more than the actually hurting people, because even in her worst moments as the _Evil Queen_, she couldn't stomach hurting anyone too badly. She would let them thinks she'd hurt them most of the time, and because she had dabbled in a lot of different kinds of magic she had noticed that they would believe her best that way.

The people who were afraid of her, were only afraid because of a memory she put in their head about the torture, and not the torture itself. She had never gotten strong enough to go that far.

Her men, the guards, would hurt them some. Give them some bruises, and sometimes she had to stop them from going too far. But she had never lifted a hand or anything else to hurt anyone. And that was where she used the torture of anticipation - she knew now that that was one of the worst ways to torture someone, because she was shaky and jumpy from that same torture method.

* * *

"Wake up sunshine," Pan's voice called out. She frowned, he was too far away.

She shook her head and opened her eyes. She must've fallen asleep for a little, because she couldn't remember when she closed her eyes, and it felt like things had changed.

"Wake up sunshine," he called out again.

"I'm awake," Regina croaked out. Her throat was hurting bad, and she knew that that would stay for a while longer. If he decided to leave it alone, it would be over in a little. But if he didn't, she didn't know how long it would take.

"Oh I know...but he doesn't," a whisper sounded near her ear. She couldn't see anyone but now she could feel them, the presence was comforting for a reason. She didn't recognize the voice, but that probably was because they'd whispered.

"Who are you? Friend or foe?"

They didn't respond, and Regina could feel the presence move. They moved away from her and she wished she could call them back, but she couldn't. Her throat dried up, the thought of someone being there had her wishing for so much more. But she knew that nothing would get her out of Pan's hands, not when he didn't want to let her go.

"No," the word, so small, slipped out of her mouth in a whisper. She could feel the freedom, even taste it in the presence of the person here. But he had to open the cage, he had to get passed Pan. It made her want to cry. And so she let the tears drip down her face. They burned a path down her cheeks and into her neck, but she couldn't stop them.

Would they save her?


	6. Chapter 6

**This is the last chapter of this story, because I didn't want to make it too long. Next up is a one-shot about what happened with Henry and the others when Regina traded herself for him, and after that I will write a sequel...**

* * *

They were gone. Regina was sure of it, as sure as she was of the darkness. They had left because Pan was too strong for them, and he wouldn't let her go until he'd had enough.

But Pan hadn't come and see her again, and she was alone, without food, without water. She had so little space that she could feel her legs cramp up, also because of the lack of food and water.

She was alone, and no way to get out. The tears were still dripping down her face and her mind was a mess, the thoughts of someone other than Pan being in here making it harder to focus on anything else. Someone had been here, of that she was sure. It wasn't an hallucination because of the lack of food or water.

Pan was gone.

The person who'd been here was gone.

And she was alone.

* * *

Time passed. She didn't know how much time but she knew it was enough. She felt weak, dizzy. She couldn't move anymore. She was cold now, shivering. It took all of her strength to stay awake, not wanting to miss the person coming back if they did.

Pan wouldn't come back, of that she was sure. Maybe he would let her go after all? But the hope was squashed by a sound. A sound she recognized. She needed to stay awake to get through whatever he had planned for her next. The sounds, as soft as they were, stopped completely. And something else happened.

The door of the cage opened and a hand appeared in front of her. The darkness kept the owner of the hand in the dark and she sat there not wanting to give anyone her hand. Not if she didn't know who it was.

"Of course. Give me a second, I'll light a candle," the voice said. The hand disappeared again and within seconds the candle was lit. She blinked when it came closed and then she could see the dark head of hair, and the tall and lean built of the man standing in front of her. "I came here a week ago, he wouldn't let me in. I didn't see an opportunity until now to get you out," he said softly. He was careful not to come to close and Regina appreciated that.

When he held out his hand again she took it, slowly. Her own hand shook, and he held her just tight enough. She could still pull her hand away if she wanted, but she was sure that she needed the support.

"Robin Hood."

"At your service ma'm," he said with a grin. She smiled weakly and let him pull her out of the cage. Once on her feet she stumbled like a newborn filly. "How long have you been in this cage?"

"I don't remember. Where is he?"

"He's knocked out cold. My friend is watching him, and no matter the magic Pan has, my friend is strong and he won't give him the chance to do any tricks," Hood replied. He held her, his arms wrapped around her waist and though she felt uncomfortable, she knew that without his support she'd collapse.

"What now?" She asked softly. Her mind was a blur and her body was so tired that she could hardly keep her head up, but she needed to know what was going to happen next. She didn't want to return here ever again.

"I will take you off the island. It's not that hard when you know how. Did you come here with anyone?" He looked around for signs of other life, but she shook her head.

"I came here alone, though I arrived on the island with a party of five, me included. They probably already left." If ever she regretted something, it was leaving them without saying anything. But Hood didn't ask more, he simply nodded.

"I'm going to lift you...in my arms. I can't haul you out of here, and if I have to I will throw you over my shoulder, but I'm going to have to lift you anyway," he said. She appreciated his telling her what he was going to do and she inclined her head. She wasn't as stupid as to think that's he could walk.

He lifted her then. He was gentle with her more gentle than she thought that a big strong man like himself would be with a woman like her. Her arms went around him without thought and she lay her head against his shoulder.

She was so tired.

* * *

Regina woke up with a start. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, trying to remember where she was and what had happened. She felt the softness beneath her and she ran a hand over it. It felt like a mattress, even though it was thin and probably overused.

For now it was a luxury though, and it was all she could do not to burst out in tears. Her head was throbbing and the cuts on her body felt warm. Warm?

"Robin, she's awake," a female voice said softly. "Regina? You're safe now," she directed the words to her and Regina was curious. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Tinker Bell's green eyes.

"Tink? What are you doing here?" She muttered. She couldn't speak louder than a whisper because her throat hurt and Tink simply smiled at her until Hood was right there, next to her.

"How are you feeling today, Regina?" He asked. She blinked, and realized that he was still as handsome as when she first saw him. She shrugged her shoulders and moaned out in pain. "Still sore, huh? Tink has been taking care of your cuts, the bruises and the...I don't know what he did to you but it's a miracle that you're still here with us. You lost a lot of blood," he said. Regina listened to his voice, hardly even hearing what he was saying.

"The warmth that you feel is from the ointment I rubbed on the cuts. It's a good thing you were out of it when I did, because even then you screamed. It'll fasten the healing process."

"What about Pan?" Regina whispered.

"Pan is...he will probably be out in a little while his _Lost Boys _will get him. I should've killed him but I couldn't let you stay there any longer so he's tied up...for now. And from what I understand he's not able to get off the island so you are safe."

Regina closed her eyes and nodded her head. She was still so tired and hearing that he wasn't dead made her want to go back and do it herself, but she knew they wouldn't let her and she wasn't strong enough. Besides, she was never going back to _Neverland_.

"I understand that you wish he was dead Regina, but it wouldn't solve anything. He still did those things to you," Tink said.

"And in any case, we are bringing you back to your Storybrook, and we'll stay for a while. No harm done in a little more protection," Hood said. He smiled then, and her heart jumped a little.

"I...do you know if my son is back there? Emma, Mary Margaret? David?"

"They are all safe. I had contact with someone named Belle and she told me they had returned to Storybrook," Tink said with a smile. "Belle didn't tell me anything about what happened, and I'm sure that Henry and Emma and Snow and Charming will have enough to tell you when you get back."

"What about Hook?"

"He sailed on after bringing them back."

Regina wondered if she would ever see him again but then she shook her head. It wouldn't matter. It didn't matter as much as her seeing Henry again. She appreciated the help she had gotten from Hood more than she thought possible and she would make it her mission to pay him back.

"I don't know how to thank you enough, Hood," she said softly. He shrugged and made a face, but she was determined. "I will find a way to pay you back in kind for what you did to me. You saved my life and possibly my sanity."

"It was nothing, miss Mills. I was happy to help."

"And I will be happy to help in any way I can, whenever you need."

When she fell asleep a second time, she felt safe. It was all she needed for a peaceful rest and she knew with all her heart, that she would be okay...someday.


End file.
